Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen says people need to be sure they're giving to a legitimate Sandy Hook charity by doing research before writing a check.

"It's outrageous and it's despicable," says Jepsen about the fraudulent organizations and e-mails that claim to collect donations for victims after natural disasters and mass shootings. "Vigilance is the bottom line."

But Jepsen also points out that there are people who have good intentions and want to help, but don't understand the process for starting a charity and may not be acknowledging the wishes of the victims' families.

Here are the official charities give to CNN by some of the families of those killed in Sandy Hook Elementary School:

soundoff(3 Responses)

patty

Unfortunate is not the word, discustting. People that profit from other peoples pain, When I vision what the person looks like I think of a sewer rat running around sniffing and eating what ever they can get the nasty hands on. But they will have their day, that is certain.

Thanks for posting the correct way to send funds and letters to the victems families. Is this the only 3 that are set up? Our family wants to send all of them something, This is the tragedy has changed me, my heart is broken. Anderson I have watched you all week and you are doing a great job at letting us know each of these victems individually, there deaths will count for something, Change will happen, ive been praying for them all day everyday and that the country does something to make all children aan dteachers safe. Ive been afraid to send my daughter to school and I dont want to live like this, Change has to happen, God be with you and those families

It might be appropriate to revisit the sgt Robert Bales killings in Afphganistan. If you want to try to understand what goes on in the mind of someone who can commit these horrible crimes you have one locked up in Leavenworth.